Sanctity of Life?

Okay everyone, bare with me on this one. It might seem like I’m rambling or all over the place on this one, but there is definitely a point here.

As I’m sure people are aware, with all the advances in modern medicine, people are able to live significantly longer. For some people, this is a blessing. They are able to share their knowledge and experience with others, see more advances, and watch their grandchildren grow to be adults. For others though, living to be old isn’t all that great. Dementia, alzheimers disease, cancer, and a host of other problems, being old can really suck.

We live in a country that believes in the “Sanctity of Life”. What this means is that life is more important than choice. We, as people, do not have the right to end our own life. We must endure and struggle on. Personally, I call bullshit.

I feel that we should have the right to end things, especially if someone is in great pain or suffering in a way that cannot be cured or treated. I, for one, have experienced great pain. I went to the hospital because my gall bladder had stones in it. They wanted to do some tests on the 2nd day I came in for it, and I wasn’t given anything for the pain for the like 2 or 3 hours for them to do these tests. I remember laying there wishing someone could knock me out our something. Anything to make the pain go away. I can’t imagine going through that kind of pain for days, weeks, or months, let alone years.

Yet people do it all the time. “Just give them pills. They’ll be okay.” Seriously? Pain meds don’t take all the pain away, and don’t work as well for some as they do for others. It’s easy to say that when it’s someone else, but if it were you… you just might feel differently about it.

When a person’s dog, cat, or horse is in pain and suffering, they are given the chance to “put them down” or “put them out of their misery.” Yet, let it be a person going through more pain and they’re pretty much forced to live. Better be successful in a suicide attempt, because if you fail, they will lock you up. You can actually be arrested for it. What kind of shit is that?

I think we should have the right to do more about our pain and suffering than just endure it. Make me go through some counseling or something and show good reason for it. Once I do, I get assistance to end my life. Don’t just say that I can’t, and then arrest me if I try. That’s messed up.

At what point am I allowed to say that I’m too old and just a burden on my family and the medical system? Will I be given the chance to end things then? Nope. Again, I will have to endure and continue to urinate, drool, and defecate on myself until my body fails enough to be put on life support. At which time a family member is allowed to let me go or keep me around indefinitely. How messed up is that?

I get it. Not everyone is able to make these type of decisions at any given time. People kill themselves all the time over small things. I understand that you can’t give permission to everyone for any reason. I feel, however, that it’s just as wrong to say there is never a good enough reason. When is there a good enough reason? For certain things, I think it should be allowed. Sure, put some mandates on it. Set some rules up, don’t make it easy, all of that. Just don’t say you can’t and that’s the end of it. Choice should come into play at some point too. That’s all I’m asking…